Life-boat.



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DA 5 1 1 I 1 Fl LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION man MAR. 16. 1915.

Patented July 20, 1915.

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F. FOX. LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 16, 1915.

Patented July 20, 1915.

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WITNESSES:

yfftifh COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 20.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

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FREDERICK FOX, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG'NOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 HENRY WOODLEY, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-BOAT.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20,1915.

Application filed March 16, 1915. Serial No. 14,765.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK Fox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to boats or vessels of the class designed for life saving and for similar purposes.

The invention consists of a boat, the body of which is of the flat bottomed, dory form, with flaring sides, pointed bow and square stern recessed and fitted with a deadelight. A conical, arched deck fits the sides of the boat, the cone bases meeting approximately drawings, in which. i

Figure l is a vertical, longitudinal sectio on line 1-1, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3+3,

The objection to boats of this description lies in the necessity of a very heavy construction and a heavy iron keel or weight at the bottom to prevent the overturning of the boat, which objection I overcome by my method of construction.

The hull of my boat is of the type similar to that known as Grand Banks fishing dory and will be known as the Foxcraft life dory. It has a fiat bottom A and sides 2 diverging from the pointed bow 3 and thence converging to an inclined, fiat stern 4C.

The turtle back deck ofthe boat comprises two conical-shaped, arched housings 5 and 6. The part 5 has its pointed end connected or fixed to the bow of the boat, thence arching up with its highest portion approximately in the center of the boat. The part 6 is in a like manner connected with the sides, ex-

tending from the stern of the boat and being hermetically joined with the base of the part 5 so that it forms a complete arch and is made water-tight along the sides of the boat, and by its shape it serves to right the boat immediately if it is thrown upon its beapo ends or turned over by heavy waves or sur The bottom of the boat is strengthened by two keelsons 7 running from the bow and spreading as they draw near midship so as to allow them to run straight, thence aft forming a space. for a tunnel or recessed sternwith one or more cross-sections, as is deemed necessary for fuel or water supply.

Upon these keelsons is fitted an inner bottom 8 which aids in giving stability to the structure and forms a space beneath in which fuel and water supply will be carried. There will be one handhole plate for each cross-section compartment to be used A for cleaning tanks. i

The rear portionof the boat has a flat deck 9 formed between the edges of the rear portion of the housing 6; this deck terminating at the rear of a house 10 which pro- ,jects above the part 6 and has a door or opening formed in its rear wall communi- 1 eating with the flat deck and allowing access to the interior of the boat, said rear wall having a dead-light. Light iron rails 11 may extend from this. house rearwardly upon each side of the protection deck to make a safety appliance for any. one attempting to enter the superstructure. The front end of this superstructure serves as a pilot hou se, i;t being supplied with bulls-eye lenses atthe front and sides, and also on the top at the front end, over the compass, and on the rear of a manhole plate which, in case of the door being jammed, would serve as a passage in or out. The arched deck may also be similarly supplied with bulls eye lenses forl'ight andto allow vision to the outside of the boat.

In order to protect the rudder, and the propeller when oneis used, I have shown the bottom and rear portion of the boat so constructed as to form a deep recess 12 within which the rudder 13 may be swung,

and if a propeller is used, as at 14, that may also be placed in this recess. If the propeller be used, an internal combustion engine may be carried within the boat to furnish power. These parts which are outside of the boat are protected by this deep recess so that if the boat is thrown upon the beach by the action of waves it will strike upon the flat bottom, and the rudder and propeller will not be injured by the shock. The rudder post 14 passes up through the rear portion of this recess or channel into the interior of the boat through'a stuffingbox or gland where it passes through the bottom of the boat or recess. This rudder post also projects above the protection deck, at the rear of the boat, and may have a tiller attached at this point and steering mechanism connected within the boat and under the deck. Such steering mechanism may be connected with a wheel or steering means at the front of the pilot house, within reach of the pilot, so that in rough weather the steering may be done from within the house. At other times, when the rear deck can be cccupied, the steering may be done by a tiller or other means from the outside.

Manholes or handholes or ventilating devices may be formed in the arched superstructure, which forms the deck of the boat, or in the pilot house, which devices can be opened and closed at will.

A mast 15 has its lower end hinged just above the pilot house so that under ordinary conditions it can be laid down upon the pilot house, and, when desired, it may be raised so that a sail can be used to help its progress or steady the boat; suitable stays extending between the top of the mast and the sides and bow of the boat. Life lines may also be attached along the sides of the boat which will serve to support persons in the water who cannot obtain access to the interior of the boat. A wire anchor cable may lead from a gypsy (it within the house up through a stuffing box and over suitably placed sheave b to the bow of the dory.

The material of which the boat is constructed is sufliciently substantial, at the same time being light, so that a boat formed in this manner will greatly reduce the weight of the modern life-saving boats and will be built and equipped within the limits of the United States marine law, and having no heavy interior ballast or keel will further insure its lightness. The shape of the boat is such that it will absolutely right itself whenever overturned and will normally float upon its flat bottom. The high arching of the conical top gives the boat such an unstable equilibrium, when inverted, that it will turn to its normal position immediately. This height gives a great abundance of room for passengers within the boat.

Tension rods and braces o unite the rails of the boat, and similar rods connect the turtle back deck sections with the keelsons, thus tying the whole together and greatly strengthening it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A life-boat comprising a flat bottomed, dory-shaped hull, a turtle backed housing hermetically sealed at its junction with the hull and having the top of its arch approximately midway of the length, said hull bottom having a rudder containing channel extending forward from the stern, and a pair of keelsons exterior to said channel and converging toward the bow.

2. Alife-boat having a dory-shaped, flat bottomed hull, a high arched, double conical deck converging from the center respectively to the bow and stern, a pilot house formed in the rear portion, and a fiat deck extending from the rear of said pilot house to the stern of the boat, said pilot house having a water-tight door opening upon the deck, and hand rails upon each side thereof.

3. A life-boat comprising a fiat bottomed dory-shaped hull having a fiat stern, said bottom having a chamfered channel extending forward from the stern, and a rudder turnable therein, keelsons parallel with said channel and convergent toward the bow, transverse compartment timbers, and a supplemental floor bottom fixed to said timbers and keelsons.

4. A life-boat of the character described, a flat bottomed, dory-shaped hull having a recess or chamber, formed in the bottom at the stern, a high arched, double cone deck,

the cone members converging from their centrally located bases to the stem and stern of the boat respectively, a pilot house located upon and with its front at the junction of the cones and its rear having a hermetically closable door, a fiat deck formed between the sides of the rear cone and extending from the rear of the pilot house to the stern of the boat, a rudder located with in the recessed chamber, and a rudder post extending upward into the interior of the boat and through said deck and passing through a stufiing box or gland, with the tiller beneath the protection deck, and an independent tiller on top of the protection deck.

5. A life-boat including a flat bottomed, dory-shaped hull having a recessed, ruddercontaining chamber at the stern, a deck composed of double conical segments having their bases united amidship and converging respectively to'the bow and stern, a pilot house located upon and projecting above the rear cone, keelsons united with the flat bottom upon each sideof the chamber and converging forwardly toward the stem, an inmy hand in the presence of two subscribing ner bottom fixed to said keelsons, stanchions witnesses. and braces connecting said keelsons With the deck-cones and pilot house, and trans- FREDERICK 5 verse connections between the side rails of Witnesses:

the boat. HENRY WoODLEY,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set GEO. H. STRONG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

